Grey Dawn
by pointeshoes17
Summary: After an abusive relationship with Owen, Akari isn't sure if she can trust anyone. Will someone as secretive as a certain chef be the one who can gain her trust?
1. Hurt

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon!

**Warning: **Owen's 'relationship' with alcohol is very exaggerated in this piece. I apologize to all Owen fans. Constructive critism and reviews are welcome! Enjoy.

"Akari…I'm so sorry. If I would've known…"

Akari could barely feel the waitress's arms curl around her waist as she sat outside the Blacksmith's. Her just hand simply brushed over the red bruise embedded on her cheek. She didn't even care that the heavy downpour was soaking through her flimsy clothing and making her shiver. She was too stunned to feel. Even her tears seemed to be glued beneath her eyelids; they just refused to fall down her face.

"Akari, what happened? Please tell me," Kathy insisted, encouraging her friend with a comforting rub on the back.

Akari peered at Kathy through sullen hazelnut brown eyes. There was no way she could tell her. She loved Owen. He was her best friend. It would only crush her.

"I-it's okay," I managed to stutter. "It was just a misunderstanding. I'm fine."

Kathy's ember green eyes filled with tears. Akari never expected her to start crying. It was such a contrast to her cheerful and upbeat personality. The waitress grabbed the downcast farmer's hand and led her to shelter underneath the Garmon mine's entrance. The two stood there in silence, watching the rain spray from the sky and listening to the water dripping from deep inside the cave.

"He was drinking again, wasn't he?" The blonde whispered.

* * *

"Hey, babe!" Owen bellowed from across the mine district. He waved with one gargantuan gloved hand and clutched in the other was a tall whiskey bottle that sloshed brown liquid on the ground as he ran towards her. Akari winced, knowing that he was probably drunk again. It was getting rarer to spend time with him sober. She used to argue with him about his drinking habits and even threatened to break up with him once or twice on occasion. But he knew just the right words to say to mold her like clay in a potter's hand. And every time she would forgive him. Akari flashed him a weak smile, which he returned with a goofy, lopsided one

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered huskily with a faint smell of the earth laced with heavy whiskey on his breath. His face was puffy and red; his dirty yet up-kept appearance looked more sluggish than usual. Owen slung a robust arm around her waist and kissed her ear.

"Hi," she said quietly, shifting uncomfortably under the close position they were in. She scanned the area for any of the villagers who could help her out if things got ugly. But unfortunately, the villagers were safely tucked inside their respective shops, warm and sheltered from the rain.

"Let's get out of here. Uncle Ramsey and Chloe are out…" he hinted suggestively.

Akari gently wiggled herself out of his grasp and took a few steps back. There was no doubt that the apprentice was friendly and outgoing, but in his current state of mind he was frighteningly sensual and aggressive. It scared her that she expected his warm smile and hug only stumble upon his cold and lustful dark eyes. "Owen, you don't know what you're saying right now…"

"Yeah, I do! Now come on!" He forcefully grabbed her by the arm and began to drag the defenseless farmer to into the Blacksmith's.

"Stop, Owen!" She cried. She leaned backwards and attempted to remove his thick fingers one by one from her forearm. He suddenly let go, causing her to land butt first into a puddle of mud. He never even bothered to help her up.

"What's your problem, Akari?" He yelled.

She stood up abruptly and tugged at the back of her jeans to prevent the slimy dirt from sticking to her skin. "You're the one with the problem!" She retorted. She glared at him; her anger was filled up to the brim, and she was fed up with his antics. "I can't live like this anymore! I—"

SMACK!

Akari toppled to the ground. For a long time she just sat there. It was like her mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally, she lifted her eyes to stare at the muscular apprentice. His shoulders were heaving up and down, and his palm was still outstretched and trembling. Akari wanted him to pick her up and hug her and apologize over and over again until she was convinced that he'd never hurt her again. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

"Akari?"

Her mind was forced to the present at the sound of Kathy's voice. She felt the onset of tears threatening to break loose, but she blinked them back, refusing to look pathetic in front of her friend. _Too _late, she thought bitterly. Akari reflected back to the question Kathy had asked her and, swallowing the lump in her throat, whispered her answer hesitantly, "Yes…"

The waitress promptly stood to her feet. "…I'm going to kill him."

"Kathy , don't!" I pleaded. "Just forget about it, okay?"

Kathy grabbed her wrist and led her out of the mine, completely oblivious to the downpour and guided her to a cracked mirror outside the cluster of shops in the district. Akari shifted her eyes as soon as Kathy planted her firmly in front of it. "Look at your face."

"Kathy…"

"No, look at it!" She persisted. "Look at it and tell me if I'm going to forget about it."

Sheepishly, Akari lifted her eyes. A red bruise tainted her normally perfect complexion. Her left cheek seemed to swell compared to her right and even the raindrops falling on it made it sting and burn. It was like she hadn't felt the intensity of his hit until then. Akari suddenly felt exhausted and just wanted to climb into bed and go to sleep. She hoped she'd never wake up.

"Kathy, I want to go home," she mumbled.

"Let me walk you," Kathy demanded.

"No…no, I just want to be alone," Akari replied bluntly.

And with that, she dragged her feet down the long road to her house. Soaked, cold and alone...


	2. Compassion

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the long wait for those still reading this story. I've been really sick these past two weeks. Currently recovering. I hope you guys all enjoy chapter two. Let me know of any improvent I can make. :)

* * *

Chop. Chop. Chop.

Plop. Plop. Plop.

Chase sliced the long, slender carrot into perfect round circles and dropped them into the pot of steaming chicken broth. He added a pinch of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of garlic, determined to measure just the right amount. He had always been a perfectionist. It was something Yolanda reprimanded him about. She constantly reminded to ease into the craft and enjoy his work. But the young chef found that nearly impossible. He was, after all, competing against one of the greatest cooks that had ever graced Castanet. Maybe it was her love for each dish that made her the better cook.

A blustery breeze disrupted the warmth of the kitchen as Chase heard the door to the bar close. He turned his head to catch a glimpse of the visitor and was surprised to see a dripping wet Kathy with her head pressed against the wall. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't faze Chase. He was unfamiliar with sympathy and completely clueless to emotions. But Kathy was one of the few people on the island that he got along well with. So for once, just one, he decided to be compassionate and delve into the art of consolation.

He allowed his soup to simmer on low heat as he walked over to the sulking waitress. "Why so blue, cowgirl?" He inquired.

Kathy groaned without lifting her slumped head from the wall. "Akari."

Chase smirked. "Akari…?" A petite, brunette with hazelnut colored eyes surfaced to his memory. The girl was gangly and awkward and uncharacteristically clumsy. She walked like duck. He was often entertained by watching her trip over her own feet, which for some odd reason were never parallel to one another. But she seemed nice enough to him. She was selfless and enthusiastic, a total contrast to his personality.

"Uh-huh," Kathy replied. She lifted her head and tucked her blond hair behind her ears. To his surprise, her expression was almost angry. "Owen is such a…"

The chef's eyebrows lifted in shock as the Kathy spewed out a bunch of derogatory names toward Owen. And he thought his vocabulary was profane.

He blinked. "So this is about Owen now?"

"Ugh!" Kathy cried out. She began pacing around the tables as she explained herself. Chase reluctantly followed. "Something happened between Owen and Akari, and she won't tell me about it."

He shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't want you prying in her business."

Kathy stared at him like he had an eyeball hanging from one his sockets. "It _is _my business if my best friend is hurt!"

Chase opted for arguing but decided it would be pointless. Instead, he asked, "So what are you going to do?"

Kathy sighed. "I don't know…" She glanced at Chase, who was absentmindedly flicking breadcrumbs off the table with his thumb and forefinger. Her green eyes beamed with an idea. "You!"

He frowned, confused. "Me?"

"Yes! Could you _please_ talk to Akari for me?" She clasped her hands together in front of her and lifted her back leg in an attempt to look cutesy in order persuade him.

But the pitiless chef didn't even bat an eyelash. "No, thanks."

"Why not?"

He laughed bitterly. "That sort of thing is beyond my area of expertise." From the kitchen, an eerie whistle and the sound sizzling echoed through the room. Chase's brilliant violet eyes widened in alarm. He and Kathy rushed to the back room to see his pot of soup foaming and bubbling over on the hot stove. The chef swore under his breath and grabbed a dish rag in the drawer beneath him. This is what happened when he was too overly concerned with others. Kathy shot him an apologetic look and turned the stove off. She stuck her nose inside the pot and took a long whiff of the aroma and frowned. But in an attempt to please Chase, she sighed in delight. "Smells great!"

He rolled his eyes. "Save it."

Together they cleaned up the kitchen and dumped about a pound worth of burnt soup down the drain. Yolanda would kill him for his carelessness if she ever found out.

"Akari is one of my best friends, Chase," Kathy said quietly after they finished. "I want to know if there's anything I can do to help her. Owen drinks a lot, but he never…" She left her sentence in midair, uncertain if she should confide in him. "Anyway, could you just do this one thing for me?"

Chase groaned. There was no way. Was he actually feeling a twinge of…guilt? It was an emotion his conscious had neglected to reveal to him in a long time, and Chase had never suspected it would be so powerful. Powerful enough to change his mind, even. It couldn't be possible.

"Fine," he drawled in agony.

"Thank you!" Kathy cried as she threw her arms around his waist.

He squirmed. "Please don't hug me. It makes me feel like I'm a good person."

The waitress laughed. "You are, Chase," she said earnestly. "You are."

Chase decided to use the time as an early lunch break so that Hayden wouldn't question his absence when he returned. Kathy promised to tell her dad and waved him goodbye. He made her swear not to tell anyone of his generous deed, afraid that it would ruin his evil and callous reputation. As he exited the bar, the approaching autumn left a chill in the air and the scent of burning wood was present everywhere. The trees sparkled gold in the waning light as the sun was starting to set off in the west. Chase took long, slow steps to prolong his time in reaching Akari's farm. It was daunting having to talk someone he knew hardly anything about. He also wasn't too fond of the image of a blubbering girl crying on his shoulder as she droned on and on about her problems. Crying disturbed him. But it was too late to back out now. His reputation was already destroyed over the fact that he actually had a heart. He didn't want to add cowardly to that list. He sighed, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

What made Kathy think that she was going to confide in him? A recluse, sarcastic chef…


	3. Confession

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for the reviews, alerts, etc. It inspires me to keep writing. Poor Chase actually has a heart. ^_^

* * *

"Sometimes I wish I were a horse," Akari said softly as she brushed Scarlett's brown, glistening coat. The mare huffed in annoyance as the comb scraped against her raw skin. Akari had brushed the horse over one hundred times as she sat on the grass in a depressed stupor, and the poor animal had to suffer through her master's strange way of venting. Akari had spent the entire afternoon cutting weeds, watering and fertilizing plants and fishing at the pond near her house even though she had taken care of her chores earlier that morning. But she refused to sit inside her shabby home and sulk. It was a beautiful day, after all.

The outside was refreshing and keeping busy was therapeutic. The rain clouds had dissipated and in its place was a cloudless sky with the sun illuminating the farm in a gold coating of light. The cicadas sung as the evening began to approach. The wind brought a sweet chill and carried a distinct smell of the ocean as it blew from the east. Akari decided it was time to return the animals to the barn. Just as she was rounding the animals together, she heard footsteps approaching on the dirt road. She froze. She hoped that it wasn't him. She hoped that he wasn't there to apologize, because she knew that she would fall right back into his arms. And she hated that about herself.

But instead she was amazed to see an employee from the Brass Bar walking toward her. His peach colored hair seemed to glow gold just like her surroundings. And the sun highlighted his purple eyes and fair skin. Akari had always found the chef to be very attractive, but his personality had never been exactly warm and inviting. Still, she found Chase's aloofness to be enticing and wanted to befriend him, but he always intimidated her and she could never say anything to him except for a mundane, "Hello". So she was beyond surprised to see him visiting her farm as dusk was quickly arriving. She blushed as she brought a hand to her frazzled hair that had curled up due to the rain. She wished she had time to look somewhat presentable. At least she had the sense to cover her bruise with makeup.

"Hey," Chase greeted, pushing her bangs from her face. "Are you Akari? I can't tell beneath that jungle on your head."

Akari scowled and pushed his hand away. _Stupid, sarcastic bastard, _she thought to herself, wondering why she ever wanted to be friends with someone like him anyway. She realized she was being ultra sensitive, but that didn't change fact that she felt completely insulted. She turned her back on his figure and gave her cow a firm nudge on the butt. The cow, Bella, responded with an angry snort.

"Need any help?" Chase offered with that cocky smirk that made Akari's skin crawl.

"I have two perfectly good hands," she responded bitterly.

Chase ignored her and, with gentle care, lifted a yellow duckling from the ground and began to carry it to the coop. Akari's gaze burned a hole through him as he disappeared inside the grungy structure. She decided not to argue with him, figuring that an act of silence would drive him away eventually. She watched Scarlett and Bella slowly trudge into the dimly lit barn. When Akari turned around, she saw Chase leaning against one of her many cherry trees, fiddling with a stem on a fallen cherry and popping the fruit into his mouth. His face scrunched up in a sour look. Why was he there? What did he want? The many questions that surfaced to the farmer's mind forced her to break her vow of silence.

"What do you want?" She asked cynically.

Chase feigned a look of hurt. "Why do I have to want something?" He replied innocently.

"Why else would you be here?"

He shrugged. "I don't know to _what_ you are implying."

Akari glared at him, her bubbling anger barely contained.

"Apparently neither do you."

The farmer clenched her fists at her sides. She wished she had the nerve to swing them in order to ruin that perfect face of his. It was too bad that her kind personality wouldn't allow it. "Look, _Chase_," she seethed. "I'm having a really bad day, and I'd appreciate it if you were to stop being so rude."

His eyes lit up earnestly. "Bad day, huh? What happened?"

She crossed her arms in defiance. "Like you care."

He shrugged. "I probably don't." The statement was surprisingly lighthearted and teasing. She met his gaze and saw that his flippant expression had been erased and in its place were eyes intensely violet and sincere, wordlessly requesting her to confide in him.

She sighed, gesturing toward the door. "Do you want to come in?"

He stared quizzically at Akari's none too appealing home and winced. "Are you sure the roof won't collapse on me? Because if it does, I'm going to sue you."

"…Ha," the farmer deadpanned, leading the way to the door. She had been meaning to upgrade the house for months, but making money was a crippling difficulty for her. Plus, she was way too lazy to scavenge lumber and stone from Fugue Forest. She thought that her friendship with Luke would open her to a discount or two, but Dale never allowed favoritism to be shown to any of his customers. Besides, she kind of enjoyed the coziness of her little home. Despite its appearance, it was actually very sturdy and durable.

"You can sit down if you want," Akari offered awkwardly. They moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa. The silence swallowed them whole. For the first time ever, Akari felt self-conscious and insecure. She had never been the greatest conversationalist, but it wasn't like her to be at a total loss of words. She curled her frizzy hair with one finger and crossed and uncrossed her legs. She could see Chase watching her from the corner of her eye, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. Why did he have to be such a jerk?

"Hm, so. Am I going to hear your depressive soliloquy now?" He asked.

The farmer shrugged. It couldn't hurt. He didn't really care about her problems, so it would be like talking to wall really. "I feel like I'm trapped. I'm in a place I don't want to be. But every time things start to look up, it goes downhill again. It's a cycle. I guess should know better. I just don't know what to do to get out of this. I'm not happy with this anymore. Things aren't going to change, no matter how much I want it to."

Another awkward silence filled the air. She could understand it. Her words were laced with symbolism. He didn't know her well enough to decode it. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to. Her eyes softened and started to water, but she refused to cry in front of the chef. It would probably give him the willies if he had to console her. He already looked extremely uncomfortable.

"If things aren't going to change," Chase started quietly. "Then why do you waste your time trying to change what's beyond your control?"

Blunt. Wise. And a really good question. A question she didn't have an answer for.


	4. Velvet Cake

"Chase!"

The frilly, high pitched shrill traveled through his ears to his head, causing slight pressure on his already throbbing temples. He poured an excess amount of chocolate chips into his velvet red cake batter as he tried to ignore the annoying girl that was sitting on a bar stool, watching him lovingly. He sighed and slipped on a pair of blue gloves and began to pick out some of the chips.

Chase could never understand the young waitress's obsession with him. He insulted her daily, more so than anyone else on the island and made it a point to give her the cold shoulder whenever she addressed him. He clearly remembered the previous night when he compared her fudge brownies to pig feces, and the distraught girl had flown out of the bar in a fit of sobs. Now here she was, glittering blue eyes wide and glazed over in admiration. The chef decided that some things would always remain a mystery.

"How are you today, Chase?" Maya asked brightly.

He plugged the electric cord to the mixer in a nearby socket, relieved that the noise would soon be drowning her voice. "I _was_ doing great. But seeing your face has brought on fresh stabs of pain." He calmly clutched at his chest.

Maya pouted and stuck out her tongue at him. This didn't go unnoticed by Chase, who returned the gesture by rolling his eyes.

"How come you're always so mean to me?" She demanded.

He placed the whisk inside the doughy mixture and allowed his finger to hover over the power button pointedly. "Don't think you're so special. I'm mean to everyone."

Before Maya had a chance to reply, he pressed the power button and set it on the highest level. The steady, sharp sound of machine was like music to his ears. Sprinkles of dry flour dotted the front of his apron. He could hear Maya screeching indiscernible words from behind him and could see her bony limbs flailing all over the place from the corner of his eye. _One, two, three. _The thoroughly pleased chef counted to himself. And surely enough: WHAM! The door to the bar slammed shut. It never failed. He struggled to suppress a laugh. He stopped the mixer and poured the smooth batter into a lightly greased pan. The door opened again and to his relief, it was only Kathy. She gave him a pitying look as she shed off her coat and tossed it on one of the tables.

"What's with the face?" He commented as he slipped his hand into an oven mitt.

"Could you at least _try _to be nice to Maya? She really looks up to you, you know."

"Kathy, how long have you known me? Do I ever _try _to be nice to anyone?"

She entered the kitchen so that she could look at him face-to-face. "Be nice to her, or I'll tell everyone about the _kind _and _generous _deed you did yesterday," she threatened.

All the color drained from his face. "You wouldn't."

"How long have you known _me_, Chase? You know I would. In a heartbeat."

It was true. Kathy never made empty threats, no matter how vicious they seemed to be. She grinned triumphantly as Chase grudgingly accepted her request. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, shoving the pan into the oven. "I'm just a cook. Not some public relations officer."

"Suck it up," she replied haughtily. "Speaking of which, how'd it go with Akari? I'm sorry I wasn't there to finish my shift. The inn needed my help last night."

Chase thought back to Akari's words as he set the timer for thirty minutes. He felt that he had underestimated the farmer. She didn't blubber on his shoulder nor did she breakdown and cry. No, she was perfectly composed and this impressed him. Even though she didn't flat out say that it was she and Owen's relationship that was causing her distress, Chase could easily decipher the meaning in her words. The one thing that troubled him, however, was that she was so willing to stay in a relationship that was never going to change. But he knew what it was like to hold on to something in the past. Chase shook the memory out of his mind and recalled what he could to the attentive waitress.

"I just don't get it," Kathy sighed when Chase was finished. "Why doesn't she just break up with him?"

He only shrugged, staring absently at the changing numbers on the timer.

"Owen's not a bad guy," Kathy rambled on, much to the chef's discontent. "I've known him for my entire life. He'd never hurt anyone. But when he started drinking…" She walked over to the untouched dishes piled in the sink and began to fill it with scorching water. "I should've warned Akari. I thought maybe she would change him."

Chase stood on the opposite side of Kathy and grabbed a dry towel. They unconsciously agreed that she would wash and he would dry. "No one can really change unless they want to," he replied.

"You're right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Go kill yourself."

He laughed good-naturedly, appreciating her quick, biting comeback. The scent of sweet, sugary cake had now wafted through the kitchen. Chase pulled a tub of vanilla icing from the refrigerator as one of the doors in back of the bar opened.

Selena strolled over to the waitress and chef, her pomegranate auburn hair wet and draped over her shoulder. She looked stunning, as usual. She was dressed in a tight fitting exotic dress that glamorized her well endowed curves. Chase sighed. Selena was only slightly less aggravating than Maya. The Toucan Island native didn't have an obsessive crush on him, which was a good thing, but her arrogant and sassy attitude was a major turnoff. And what disturbed him most was that their personalities were creepily similar.

"Good morning, Kathy," she greeted coolly. She smirked at Chase. "Morning, douche."

Chase opened his mouth for an inappropriate response before Kathy clamped a hand over it. "Can't we all just be nice to each other for once? You guys bring such negative energy!"

The chef nipped at her hand, which she pulled back in shock and disgust. When Kathy wasn't looking, he stuck his middle finger up at the dancer, who then returned it dismissively. He turned his back on the girls and focused his quickly decreasing energy on his cake. He put an oven mitt on one hand and slid the pan from the glowing rack. It looked perfect. The round and flaky pastry was ready to be coated with the vanilla icing. As he was expertly spreading it across the cake's smooth surface, he realized that he had no specific purpose in baking it. After another restless night at home, he arrived at the bar at six in the morning with nothing better to do than to cook. He did this a lot. And now a product of his restlessness sat in front of him.

He refused to waste it on Maya.

For reasons unknown to him, he thought about Akari. The shred of good in him, though minuscule, considered delivering the cake to the farmer. He brushed the act off as an act of consideration to one of neighborly responsibility. Akari _did_ look much too thin to have to handle all of that farm work on her own. She probably never ate much, considering her lack of culinary skills (he knew this due to the cooking lesson he attempted to teach her) and the fact that she never stopped by to grab any food. And knowing that she was depressed over Owen, she probably wasn't eating anything at all. It was settled. He would give the cake to her.

"…I'm going to see her today," Chase heard Kathy say to Selena. "Maybe she'll actually talk to me."

Selena shook head as she combed through her tangled hair. "She _needs_ to go punch that jerk in the face. I swear, if a guy ever hit me, every bone in his body would be crushed."

Kathy laughed. "It's not in Akari to do that. She's actually a good person," she teased.

Chase took the opportunity to slip out the back door.

* * *

**A/N: **Even though Chase doesn't like Selena and Maya in this fic, I actually like them. Well, I liked Maya in TOT. In AP, she makes me cringe. But I always liked Selena. She seems like a no-nonsense type of girl. I like Kathy, too. I think she and Chase would make good friends. I'm sorry if this chapter seems like a filler. I don't want to go too fast, considering Akari is still trapped in a complicated relationship. I promise Owen will be in this fic soon. I haven't found a way to introduce him yet. Ideas?

Thanks for reading!


	5. Promise

**A/N: **...Forgive me? XOXO

* * *

"Hey, Akari. It's me, Owen. I woke up this morning and man...I remember everything. Babe, I'm so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. I came by as soon as I woke up, but you must've been asleep so I wrote this and put it in your mailbox. I know you don't want to see me. I wouldn't. But in case you change your mind, please meet me on the dock by the Fishery at noon. We need to talk. I love you."

"No," Akari groaned as she smothered her pillow over her face. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and as an afterthought, she kicked the heavy quilt from her body and watched it crumple to the floor. She had baked herself dry throughout the night wrapped in that quilt, but she felt exposed and vulnerable without it. She brought the letter up towards the ceiling and reread it. He wrote it in glossy blue ink, probably using a pen of his cousin Chloe's. The words were large, choppy and written in "cursive". She used to laugh at his failed attempts to write in cursive. They were regular letters with his signature loops and squiggles in the wrong places.

This guy was slyest smooth talker she had ever met, she was certain of it. Or at least she wanted to believe that. She felt pathetic for even _considering _the thought that he may have been truly sincere this time. How much longer was she going to rationalize his behavior? She balled the letter in her fist and tossed it her pile of clothes in the middle of the floor. Yes, that's where he and his words belonged: in dirty laundry.

She kicked her legs off the bed and let them dangle there for awhile as she listened to the short, static beeps from her phone. Kathy left her three messages last night, one every hour. She remembered how she left her best friend standing there in the rain as she walked back to the farm. Akari slumped forward and groaned again. If she had a dollar to pay for every memory she wanted to erase, she'd be in serious debt for the rest of her life. She made a mental note to go by the bar later to apologize...and then she would tell Kathy everything. She stood abruptly and walked over to her full length mirror. Drool marks dried onto the creases of her lips, and imprints from the pillow made an intricate design across her forehead. The bruise on her cheek glared like a red traffic light. She thought she had covered it well last night until Chase said:

"I know you don't know how to cook, but I thought it was common sense to keep your face away from hot stoves."

And then she slammed the door in his face.

She thought she had underestimated the chef, but in the end he always managed to irritate her. His personality was downright smothering. You dislike him, you start to like him just a _little_ bit, and then he does something to make you not like him again. She shrugged it off. He was certainly the least of her problems.

She went into the bathroom and scrubbed her face clean with scalding water. It stung her cheek, and she could feel it pulsating. Once the swelling went down, she coated her face with primer and foundation. She hated wearing make-up. It made her face feel heavy, and she usually sweated it all off while working on the farm anyway. _But, _she thought, _a girl's gotta what a girl's gotta do._ As she wrapped her short hair into a small nub at the top of her head, she felt determined. She was going to meet Owen on the pier and finally give him what he deserved. She thought about slapping him, but it would be equivalent to trying to karate chop a brick with her hand. She thought about cussing him out, but she was certain her very tame vocabulary was unimpressive compared to his. So what _exactly_ was she going to do?

"Whatever. I'll figure that out when I get there."

She put on a pair of running shorts and her dad's old college t-shirt and went to tend to her garden. It took several months of trial and error but her vegetables and fruits were finally thriving. She touched the supple, green leaves and inhaled the fresh scent of budding flowers. Since it was only 10:00 a.m. and the summer heat was already assaulting her pale skin, she decided to drown them in water. After an hour of this, she ushered Scarlett and Bella out of the barn to graze. She sat with them under the shade of her cherry tree while chugging down dirty water from her watering can and checking her watch every minute, expecting it to be noon every time she looked at it.

"I'm so not waiting for this," she complained. She saddled Scarlett and heaved herself up on her back. As Akari guided the horse down the dirt road to the city, she became aware of several tragic things.

She didn't shave her legs. Or her arms. She lifted her arm and checked her pit. White with deodorant but hairless. She didn't check to see if her teeth were okay. She raked her tongue around her teeth, and they felt a bit gritty. In fact, she didn't remember if she even brushed them. Her shorts were wrinkled and baggy, and her shirt had two marble sized grease stains near her belly button and collar bone. She didn't understand why these facts were so upsetting to her until she realized who she was going to see...

Owen.

She thought about turning back, but she refused to let him have power over her wardrobe too. After all, this was the last day she was going to see him...intentionally.

From a distance, she could already to see him on the dock with his back facing her. Her heart sped up. She bit her lip, quickly realizing her need for chap-stick. She tied Scarlett to the front of the bar. Mayor Hamilton had already given Akari permission to let her animals roam the city, but she wasn't too fond of the townspeople complaining about stepping on horse crap. At least if Scarlett needed to take a dump by the bar, she would know where to find it. The ocean lay motionless and glittered in the sunlight. She saw Paolo and Toby fishing by the lighthouse with a picnic basket and a large umbrella in between them. She stepped onto the pier and the boards squeaked under her weight. Owen quickly turned around.

His lips curled into sad smile at the sight of her. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her into his chest. She, of course, didn't return the hug. She let her arms hang stiffly by her sides as she waited for the hug to end. He didn't reek of alcohol at all. In fact, he smelled good, like trees and pine-cones. He stepped away and took a few strands of her hair that didn't make it into her bun and twirled them around slowly. He was cleanly shaven, and he was wearing black trousers and a white button up shirt, buttoned just enough to see the defined features of his chest. She had rarely seen him look so..._nice._

_He's good, _she tried to convince herself. _Very sly, but I'm not gullible._

"Tell me why I'm here or I'm leaving," she demanded.

"Akari, I was out of line..."

"Obviously," she spat.

"I don't even know what to say to make you forgive me. I know "I'm sorry" isn't enough, but I am. I don't want you to leave Akari. I..." He reached out with his fingers to stroke her cheek. She flinched.

"Where is it? Did it heal already?"

"No, I have on make-up," she mumbled. _Stupid. _"It's still there, big and ugly."

"Akari..."

"I know. You're sorry. I got it."

He looked defeated. He pulled his hand away from her face, almost out of embarrassment, and took a step back. Akari was enjoying that look. He was probably surprised by her gutsiness. She had never been so blunt.

"I'll never get that drunk around you again, Akari. This time I swear. Every time I do something stupid to you, I can't stand to deal with myself the next day. Every time I wonder whether or not you'll take me back. You have...but even someone as sweet as you has a breaking point. I think I finally reached it. I've really screwed up this time. I'm sorry."

She shrugged, but she felt hot tears dribble lamely down her face. "You're an alcoholic," she choked out.

His eyes widened in surprise. "What? I'm not. I just...I need to learn my limits."

"Why don't you just stop period?" She challenged hotly.

"C'mon Akari..."

"I have the right to say this. I'll never trust you again until you give it up for good! It's me or the alcohol!" She was right on the verge of giving in. If he said he would, it was over. She knew she would give up and fall right for him again. She knew she would even though she knew it was stupid.

He hugged her again and kissed the top of her head, running his hands up and down her spine. She still didn't hug him back, but she felt herself relaxing this time. He always knew how to diffuse her anger. Or maybe she still loved him. She felt like a boomerang. _You can throw me away, but I always end up coming back._

"You know there's no contest there, Akari. I'll stop. I will."

"How can I _know_?" She sniffed.

"You'll never see me drunk again. I'll ask Kathy and Hayden to keep me accountable...you can even ask them if I ordered anything. I'll throw out the stash I have at home."

"It can't be that easy."

He pulled away slightly and lifted her chin so she could look at his face. She found that she really couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Yeah...he was definitely lookin' good. But more than that, he looked totally sincere, much to her dismay. It would have been so much easier if he didn't fight so hard. He uttered a quiet: "Love makes everything easy."

_Or it makes everyone stupid. _

She shrugged. "Cheesy...but I know what you mean."

He chuckled. "Akari, you won't regret this. I promise."

* * *

**A/N: **I haven't updated in two years! I hope this is a pretty good comeback. Thank you for reading! Reviews appreciated and welcomed.


	6. Delivery

"Chase? Where are you going?"

Chase looked over his shoulder. Kathy stood in the doorway with her arms folded over her brown vest. Selena had her chin rested on her shoulder, snickering. He rolled his eyes. These women drove him borderline insane with their constant prying around in his business-in or outside of the bar.

"You know, my dying wish is to be left alone for just thirty seconds. Thirty seconds and then I can die happy."

Kathy disregarded his comment and walked up to him, lifting the dish towel he had thrown across the cake in his hands.

"Hey...!" He protested, elbowing her hand away.

"Where are you going with that?"

"...I'm going to eat it in the Watery Cave and share it with my bat friends. Bye."

"Yeah right!"

The rusty back door squeaked, and the two of them watched a ginger-headed blacksmith steadily approach them. Behind him, Selena gave a thumps up and closed the door as he exited the bar. Chase turned to Kathy. Her face was twisted with some foreign emotion, a cross between surprise and anger.

"Owen?"

He fiddled with the unbuttoned cuffs on his white shirt. "Hey Kathy..."

Kathy stomped up to him, closing the distance between them. He towered a few good inches above her, but she was able to raise her hand and slap him square in the jaw. Owen raised his hand slowly to his face, not quite believing what had just happened. Chase chuckled. Even with someone as big as Owen, Kathy still managed to hurt him. He decided he didn't want to miss this. Akari could wait a few more minutes.

"What was that for?" He cried.

"You hurt my best friend! Explain or me and Chase will kill you!"

Owen darted his eyes toward Chase in acknowledgement and returned them to Kathy's beet red face. Chase didn't kid himself. He was decently built, sure. But Owen smashed rocks all day...Chase tossed stir-fried vegetables.

"I know, I know," Owen admitted. "I just talked to her..."

"Did she dump your sorry butt?" She spat.

"No..." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look, Kathy, I came here to ask you for a favor."

Her mouth gaped and her eyebrows furrowed in response to his audacity to ask for a favor, of all things.

"Could you...could you tell Hayden not to serve me any drinks?"

"...Excuse me?"

"Could you tell him not to give me any?" He repeated. "I made a promise to Akari that I wouldn't drink anymore."

"You did what?"

Chase slapped his forehead and groaned. Was his friend this dense or did she purposely act like a ditz?

"Yeah," Owen responded, clearly not as aggravated as Chase. "She's probably going to drop in later to ask if I came by, so can you tell her what I told you?"

The peach-haired man scoffed. It was obvious to him that Owen was putting on a front. Sure, maybe he wouldn't order any cocktails from the bar, but that didn't mean that he couldn't get them from somewhere else. Chase was aware of his friendship with Ramsey, Dale and Cain, all heavy drinkers and frequent residents of the bar. If they wouldn't give him any, he probably had a stash in his room. Chase knew. He had seen this sort of thing before, and it wasn't as easy as just saying, "I quit."

Owen looked at Chase with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have a problem? Why are you here anyway?"

Chase relaxed his face, unaware that he was scowling. Those subconscious memories had a way of resurfacing to the present. "Oh, don't mind me. Yeah, I don't know why I'm here either." He turned on his heel when Kathy grabbed his wrist. He tried to tug his hand free from her grasp.

"Wait," she demanded without removing her eyes from Owen. "Chase went to visit Akari last night, and she told him that it was always the same thing with you. Why should I believe you now?"

Chase winced at Kathy's careless use of his name. He was not a part of this. Owen glared at Chase, a dark cloud settling over his already tense features. "Why were you visiting Akari?"

"Blackmail," he replied innocently.

"What?"

Kathy pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a laugh. "Doesn't matter. The thing is, Akari's tired of you acting like a fool. If you ever, EVER hit her again, I'll report you for...for domestic abuse!"

_To what authorities? _Chase thought distantly.

Owen exhaled and inhaled deeply as if he were trying to release his inner angst. He put his hand on Kathy's shoulder and tucked her under the chin. "Kathy, this is me you're talking to. You're like a sister to me. I trust you to straighten me out...okay?"

Kathy swiped at his hand. "Get off me." She dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed. Unconsciously, she released the grasp she had on Chase's wrist. He withdrew it quickly and massaged it with his other hand.

"I just really love her. I don't want her to get hurt, and I don't want you to act like this."

Owen nodded. "I'll do better, I promise."

At this point in the conversation, Chase left them with the cake still in hand, the vanilla icing dripping unto the china plate under the summer heat. He shielded his eyes from the sun with his free hand and glanced around the small town. It was relatively quiet. Luna and Julius were shouting in front of the Tailor shop with a timid Candace looking more distressed than ever. Jake and Colleen shared glasses of lemon water underneath an umbrella outside the Inn, and Irene ringed a stringy mop of its water from inside the Clinic. He turned his attention to the ocean, glittering as if millions of diamonds hid beneath its surface. A small girl sat on the edge of the pier with her legs dangling and her feet trailing the water. Chase began to whistle as he strolled over.

When his tune reached her ears, she whipped her head around in surprise. He grinned at the sight of her. While she never looked as fashion suave as, say, Julius, she looked nearly uncivilized today.

"My, my, don't you look lovely. With that manure on your shoes and that greasy shirt. Real sexy, you know."

Her face fell as her cheeks turned cherry red. "I can't deal with you today, so could you please leave?"

"You're not that great at dealing with me any day."

She ignored him and continued to stare out into the ocean. Pascal's ship was floating about a mile away, a net dangling over the railing and barely touching the water. Chase sat at the other end of the pier and placed the cake beside him. He removed the dishcloth, slid his finger across the cake's icing and placed it in his mouth, sucking it and smacking his lips. Akari sighed.

"Do you mind?"

He smirked. "Am I distracting you? You don't seem to be doing anything."

She looked at him, and her eyes lowered to the velvet cake crumbling to its death on the white plate. "...Your cake is melting."

"I'm aware. You want it?"

She laughed and threw her hand over her mouth. When she removed it, she was frowning again. She extended her hands to accept his offer. Without leaving his spot, he pushed the plate to the farmer. It stopped a couple of inches away from her. She rolled her eyes as she leaned over to grab it. Chase smiled to himself and discreetly watched her. She pinched a piece with her fingers and popped it in her mouth. Her face lit up as she chewed, but she made no verbal comment about his cooking. It was already clear to him that she thought it was delicious. He baked it after all. Chase waited until she was one-fourth into the cake before he brought up the news, but not after she was finished chewing.

He introduced the subject casually as he snapped and unsnapped the pins in his hair. "So you got back together, huh? Figures. Guess I overestimated you."

Akari coughed, pieces of red cake spewing from her mouth. Embarrassed, she scrubbed her lips with her sleeve. "Where'd you hear that!?"

"He came by to talk to Kathy."

"About what?"

"Like I was listening," he lied. "But I heard him say something about not drinking anymore so you would take him back. Ha. You don't actually believe that bull, do you?"

He already knew the answer. She wouldn't have taken him back if she didn't believe it. But he just wanted her to say it out loud, so she could hear how ridiculous she sounded. She returned to her zombie-like state, staring out at the ocean with her toes swirling the surface. Still expecting an answer, Chase placed his chin on his knees and watched her. White, hungry seagulls began to fly overhead, their intent on stealing Chase's cake. Akari finally stood, her expression shifting from hurt to deadpan.

"I don't know." She lifted the cake and began to walk away. She stopped and turned to see Chase's slumped back facing her. "Hey..."

"Hey," he mocked without turning to look at her.

She smiled sadly. "Thanks for the cake."

He listened for her footsteps to leave the pier, and then he turned around. She was on her horse's back, heading down the path to her house.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks again!


	7. Comfort

_Guess I overestimated you..._

Akari closed her eyes, but she couldn't erase Chase's words out of her head. He always had a way of making her feel stupid. His hands made things so sweet, like the delicious red velvet cake he let her eat, but his mouth made everything sour. But...maybe he was right to overestimate her. Before she graduated high school and moved to Castanet Island, her family and friends never doubted her ability to succeed. She was a straight A student and ranked fifth in her class. She was involved in several clubs and organizations and had a leadership position in more than half of them. Yet...she still felt insecure, and even though everyone around her refused to underestimate her, she did it to herself all the time. She wanted someone to tell her she couldn't do it all. Her parents finally realized they had put too much faith in her when she told them she was going to be farmer on a little, remote island and put off college until the future.

That's when they finally said they overestimated her.

But now she hated when people said that to her. She was upset with Chase and wanted to prove him wrong, just like she had done with her parents when she wrote them explaining how happy and successful she was living on the island. But this time her heart was involved, so it was going to be a little more complicated than that. Logic and common sense are the arch-enemies of love. Like the saying goes: The heart wants what the heart wants.

She would believe him if this was the first time, but it wasn't. To be honest, she couldn't blame him for taking advantage of her trust, since she was so easy to placate. But that couldn't have made it right. Maybe she was a doormat, but that didn't make it okay for him to continue wiping his boots all over her. She rubbed her temples with her middle and index fingers; her veins were pulsating from over-thinking. She simply decided that if she caught him drinking again, it would be over. Completely over. No relationship. No friendship. Total strangers.

But how could she continue this if she couldn't trust him? Always on the edge, waiting for him to screw up...

She had her head buried in Scarlett's mane and lifted it as they began to approach the farmland. When her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, they drifted to Kathy pounding on her front door and Selena peering into her windows. Her animals, not exactly trained to be guard livestock, simply watched them with curiosity.

"Akari! Please open up!"

"Akari! Open the door before I kick it down!"

That last one had to be Selena. Akari couldn't help but to giggle. She knew Kathy brought Selena along to intimidate her. She thought it was a clever tactic. The exotic beauty could be a bit...demanding. Akari continued to watch them until Selena grabbed Kathy's shoulder and pulled her away from the door. Selena's lips moved, and the look on Kathy's face was heartbreaking for her to see. She looked sad, scared and rejected like a little girl who couldn't find her mother. Akari was going to go to Flute Fields and sit by the river, but she couldn't stand seeing her best friend like this. Akari slid off the saddle and called her name, "Kathy!"

The blond's face lit up in relief, and she closed the distance between them quickly, plowing her body right into Akari's for a bone crushing hug. Owen's embrace was cold, but her friend's was warm and safe. It felt nice to be held by someone who knew her inside and out, and she didn't understand why she didn't seek Kathy's comfort earlier. After Akari complained about not being able to breathe, Kathy pulled back and whacked her across the head. Her throbbing temples went into overdrive.

"H-hey!" She cried, puzzled by the dramatic shift in emotions.

"You deserve it!" Kathy shot back. "I called you _three _times yesterday. I was worried sick about you! I only knew you were alive because Chase said that you were!" Her glossy, green eyes leaked heavy tears down her face.

Selena strolled over and also smacked the poor farmer's head. Akari could only groan in pain. "And that's in the hopes of knocking some sense into you."

"...Can you guys beat me up inside? I need some aspirin."

"Please," Selena wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I keep thinking I'm going to step in horse shhh-" Kathy covered her mouth before she could swear.

Akari fished for the key inside her rucksack and hammered it into her rusty lock, pausing as she remembered the mountain of dirty laundry in the middle of the floor. Normally she would ask her guests to give her few hours notice before they came to visit so she could do a little bit of cleaning. But it was too late for that. Her appearance already screamed "Help me!" so it would probably be understandable if her house did as well. She invited the girls in and offered them a seat on the sofa. Before sitting, Selena flung a pair of plaid boxers in the pile, cringing slightly. Akari didn't see the point in wearing sexy underwear. She opened her medicine cabinet and shuffled through rows of cold medicine before she grabbed a small, white bottle of aspirin. She emptied the contents and frowned as two pills appeared on her hand. Not nearly enough to cure this headache. She drowned the pills down her sore throat with a full glass of water.

Sore throat, bad headache...was she getting sick?

"You can really tell you're depressed, Akari," Selena commented as she glanced around the room, her movements stiff and jerky as if trying not to touch anything by accident.

"You and Chase should get married," Kathy snapped. "You're both unbelievably rude. Don't you see she's hurting?"

Akari smiled slightly as she took her spot on the bed. Instinct compelled her to seek the safety of her hot quilt, and she wrapped it around her body until she felt snug. "I think that's why they _shouldn't _get married. Everyone would be miserable."

Selena rolled her eyes and Kathy laughed. After a few moments of silence, Kathy curled into herself, knees to stomach. "Hey...Owen came by today."

"Oh?" Akari replied, feigning interest by arching her eyebrow. She had already received the information from Chase, but she decided to pretend this was her first time hearing it. It didn't surprise her that Owen came by to talk to Kathy. They had been best friends since birth.

"He told me he talked to you today...and he promised you he wouldn't drink anymore."

"Yeah..."

"He told me to ask my dad not to serve him anymore alcohol," she persisted. Akari stopped fiddling with her chipped fingernails and looked up curiously. Did he really go that far in order to keep his promise?

"I'm sorry," Selena chimed in. "But I think you're a fool for taking him back. I would never date an alcoholic, and I sure as hell wouldn't date someone who hit me...even once!"

Akari sighed. She was right. But she didn't have Selena's fighting spirit or aggressiveness. Maybe that was the type of girl Owen needed to straighten him out. She vaguely wondered if Selena had ever been in love. _Because it's so easy to say those things if you haven't,_ she thought.

"I don't know what to think," Kathy mumbled. "I want to believe Owen will change, but I want you to be safe and happy, Akari. Maybe you should talk to a therapist or something. Someone unbiased."

"We don't have any therapists here," Selena retorted.

"Maybe Jin could be her therapist."

The dancer snorted. "No. I think _he_ needs a therapist too."

Akari wished they would stop talking. She didn't want anyone telling her what to do. She had already made her decision, even if it was the crazy, foolish thing to do. All Owen needed was motivation to stop drinking and he would. She was going to be his motivation. What he told her on the dock was beginning to make more sense to her, about love making everything easy. Another part of her was telling her she was in very dangerous territory. Chase warned her. Selena warned her. Kathy...well, she was as confused as Akari was. But she seriously wanted to believe in the power of love. Was it crazy to want that? Unrealistic?

"...I'm sorry, Aka. I know you've already thought about this a lot and here we go stressing you out even more," Kathy apologized. Akari nodded in acceptance. "Have you eaten today? You look sick."

Akari brought a clammy hand to her forehead. She felt warm, and she was sweating under her clothes, but that was probably due to the quilt. The aspirin alleviated her headache a little, but her head still felt heavy and full. "I...I ate some cake."

"Come to Harmonica Beach tonight. We're having a get-together, and there will be plenty of food," Kathy said. "Plus it will get your mind off everything for a few hours. You need to be around people who care about you, okay?"

Akari nodded slowly. She thought solitude was what she wanted, but she already felt a lot better with just Selena and Kathy sitting in her home. "I'll go..."

"You'll have fun. I promise."

* * *

**A/N: **Would you guys give him a second chance? By the way, thank you guys for the alerts and favorites! I'm so excited that people are reading and liking my story.


End file.
